While Prime Minister Bhupendra Patel inaugurated the first ‘Sardar@150 Unity March’ in Junagadh on Sunday, state BJP president Jagdish Panchal in Ahmedabad gave a schedule of two yatras planned to mark the 150th anniversary of Vallabhbhai Patel.
“The unity rally will be held in two parts. In each Lok Sabha constituency, there will be at least three yatras. In Gujarat, in all 182 Assembly constituencies, the yatra will be carried out. Today, on November 9, CM Patel flagged off the first yatra to be launched from Junagadh. On November 16, I will join the yatra in Nikol Vidhan Sabha. In November On January 17, CM Patel will join the yatra,” Panchal said. Gatlodia, in the same way, other members of the government will join the yatra at some point and Union ministers like Mansukh Mandaviya will also join the yatra in Gujarat and there will be welcome parties for all the people to join.
Regarding the national yatra, Panchal said: “In the second national yatra, which will be from Constitution Day (November 26) to December 6 – from Karamsad to Kevadia, about 152 km – the yatra will be held over 11 days, during which 15-17 km will be walked daily. Four youth from each district of India will join the yatra, which will reach 400-500 youth daily in different areas. Villages on the route will hold welcome and handover parties.” Parties to the next villages, overnight stays have been arranged at different accommodations and Union government ministers and BJP leaders will join the national yatra along with chief ministers from other states.
Panchal refused to answer whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi will join the national yatra.
Asked if the Congress had been invited to join, Panchal said: “Sardar Sahib is not the Sardar of the BJP but the Sardar of the entire country. He founded Akhand Bharat. We have asked everyone to join. The media should ask them (Congress) whether we have stopped them from going to the Statue of Unity. Those who do not have time to go to the University of South India even once yet, to see the statue of the person who helped create the Congress, I say in this open forum that all 140 crore Indians have been invited to join the The yatra.
Hitting out at the Congress, the state BJP chief said: “I don’t mean to criticize anyone at this time, but the Congress has left no stone unturned to insult and forget Sardar Patel. It took 41 years to give him Bharat Ratna. Today’s youth need to be informed with all this correct information. We are celebrating his birth anniversary but we must ensure that his ideals are a society for the youth.”
Panchal, who was flanked by Cabinet Minister Jeetu Vaghani, spokesperson for the Gujarat government, spoke about the various contributions of Sardar Patel to the unity of independent India and the various initiatives of the NDA government at the Centre.
(Tags for translation) Sardar@150 Unity March
